Music-roll.



J. n. HOFFMAN.

MUSIC. ROLL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 9 18.

' Patented Mar. 4,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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MUSIC ROLL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. ms.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awe/whoa mflmw jW iklll V .l. N. KN m-/,, Qm QN WN QM IF Wm v X I M... I 5 M i e .M. m J NN nW T N MN a N 9% m w UNI E STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. HOFFMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA/ PENNSYLVANIA. I

MUSIC-ROLL.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JOHN R. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of, Philadelph1a and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Music- Rolls, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to prov1de a music feed roll for player pianos to receive the record strip or sheet from the record roll, said feed roll being provided with means for engaging the end of the record strip or sheet independently of the ring with which said strips or sheets are ordinarily provided, so that in the event that the ring or similar means should become detached, as frequently occurs, the engagement of the strip or sheet may be effected and theoperation of the mechanism proceed as under normal or ordinary conditions. 7

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for securing the end of the record strip or sheet to the music feed roll which will be closed or moved to engaging position with relation to said strip or sheet automatically or by reason of the driving of the feed roll bythe mechanism of the player, and will be maintained in such engaging position throughout the operation ofthe mechanism, without attention on the part of the operator, but which will at the end of the operation, upon the re-rolling of the record strip be freely detached or disengaged from the record strip or sheet without possibility of injury thereto.

Further objects and advantages will appear .hereinafter, it being understood that changes in form, proportion and details particularlyin adapting the mechanism to various types of players and player pianos may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

r In the drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a view of a feed roll pro vided with a record strip or sheet engaging device constructed in accordance with the invention as seenin a player-piano of the ordinary type." V

Fig. 2 is a detail side view of the feed roll detached from the piano player. 7

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the central portion of the feed roll showing the clamp and operating means in detail.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed. July 20, 1918. Serial m5. 245,872.

' the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 2.

V Fig. 5 is a detail view of the clamp member detached.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the crank arms by means of which motion is communicated from the feed roll spindleto the clamp member.

Fig. 7 is a detail section. to show the temporary roll restraining device.

Essentially the feed roll embodying the invention includes a spindle 10 and a drum 11 loosely mounted upon the spindle and havinga central portion 12 which may consist of a metallic cylindrical casing corre:

sponding in general outline with the body portion of the roll or drum and connected with said body portion by pins 13. The intermediate portion of the drum may be provided with the usualhook 14 forengage: ment with the terminal ring on the record stripor sheet and designed and adapted to be used in the ordinary way.

Carried-by the drum and mounted in the intermediate portion 12 thereof is a clamp member 15 "consisting of a jawor bar 16 roughened or milled on its underside as shown in the detail Fig. 5 and arms 17 which are pivotally connected with crank arms 18 secured fixedly to the spindle 10 whereby when motion is applied by the driving mechanism of the player to the said spindle, motion is communicated through the orankarms 18 to the clamp-and thence to the .drum of the roll to impart winding movement thereto to feed the record strip or sheet. The tapered end portion of the strip or sheet isadapted to be inserted between the the driving mechanism of the player to the spindle, and obviously as. soonas this 1110- tion has been started the action 4 of the v spindle in communicating motion to .the drum through theclamp will hold the latter in its engaging pos 1tion,-.and this relation of the parts will be maintained as long as the operation of the feed roll continues. On the rewinding of the record strip "or sheet, causing a reverse rotary movement of the feed roll which runs freely when the rewinding mechanism of th'e player has been thrown into operation,

the pressure upon the clamp member will be relieved, so that when the end of the strip or sheet is reached itwill slip freely from under the clamp bar or jaw' without liability of injury-to the parts.

The crank arms 18 may be secured rigidly to the spindle 10 by means of transverse keys 19, or any equivalent thereof, the arms'l7 of the clamp member extending through suitable openings 20 in the drum or shell formed bythe intermediate portion of the roll and l the-spindle beyond the end of the drum may be provided with. a transverse perforation or drill hole 21 for the attachment of the feed gear if the latter is disposed exteriorly' of the casing, but obviously this is a detail having nothing inparticular tofdo with the present invention and will depend upon the type of player in connection with which the invention is used. The main feature of the construction is the arrangement of parts whereby the rotary motion of the feed roll is communicatedfrom the spindle to the drum through the intermediate agency of the clamping means which serve toengage the extremity of. the record strip or sheet and maintain the latter frictionally in relation to the'feed roll during the forward movement of the record strip while permitting the free disengagement of said strip from the feed roll upon the re-rolling or re-winding of the record. 7

This may be accomplished by the finger of the operator, or by means of a lever 21,-pivoted upon a bracket 22 at the back of the roll box, a beveled or cam projection 23' being ar v ranged on the end of the roll 11 in the path remove it from the of which said lever may bearranged by pressure, laterally, upon a finger piece25on the lever. As the rotation of'the roll starts the lever will be pressed laterally by the cam to path of thelprojection in subsequent rotations.

- The tightening of the clamp in starting the operation after inserting the end of the sheetunder theclamp baror jaw may be effected by slightly restraining or retarding the movement oftlie feed roll.

Having described the invention I claim V 1. The combination with a music feed roll fori'piano players and driving meanstherefor, of a-clamp for engagement with the rec- 0rd sheet, and means connecting said clamp with said driving means tooperate the clampand {hold the same in clampingposition. f

' 2. The combinationwith a music feed roll for-piano players and driving means therefor, ofa clamp carried by said feed roll, and

capable of movement into engagement with the recordvsheet V and means connecting said clamp w1th sald driving means to operate the clamp and hold the same in clamping position. 7 c

3. A music feed roll for piano -aplayers having revoluble relatively movable driving and driven members, and a clamp member carried by the latter and connected with the former for movement relative to the latter to engage the end of a record strip;

4. A Il1l1SlC feefd roll for piano players having a driving spindle and a drum for-receiving revoluble movementtherefrom, and

capable of a limited independent movement, and a clamp member carried by :and ar ranged in movable cooperative relation'with the drum to engage the end of a record strip,

ment into said clamping relation. 7 v

' 5. A music feed 'roll for "piano pla ers having independently revoluble mem ers consisting of'a spindle and a drum, a clamp member movably mounted upon the drum for cooperation with the surface thereof to engage the ends of arecord strip, and connections between the clamp member and and connected with" the spindle for move said spindle by which revoluble' movement is I communicated'from the 'latter'to the drum and the clamp member is movable into clamping position. V p V 6; A music feed roll for player pianos having a spindle for receiving roll driving motion, a drum'for receiving motion from said spindle and mountedthereon for independent movement, a music sheet clamp hav-' ing an exposed bar or jaw for engagement with the end of a record strip or sheet, said clamp member having arms'extending in; wardly from the bar or jaw, and crankarm's connected with said spindle and with the arms of the clamp member for communicat ing motion to the latter and therethrough to the drum. a p a 7. A music feed roll for playerpianos having a spindle adapted to receive driving revoluble' movement, a drum loosely mounted upon said spindle'and having an intermediate-hollow member forming a-cas-fl mg, a clamp member having anexteriorbar or jaw extending longitudinally'of andarranged in-a groove or counter-sunkpo'rtion and connectedto thespindle to convey rotary motion from the spindle to the drum and drum restraining means including a cam on the end of the drum, and a lever pivotally mounted for swinging movement into the path of the cam for holding the drum during the initial movement of the spindle and the coincident engaging movement of the clamp.

9. The combination with a music feed roll Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

for piano players and driving means there- 10 ate the clamp and hold the same in clamping 15 position.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN R. HOFFMAN.

Washington, D. 0. 

